FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, WE WATCHED TORY LANEZ PLAY HIDE-N-SEEK WITH LADY JUSTICE as he hid behind DJ Akademiks fat ass while fanning the flames of Hip Hop's ever-present misogynoir. But come Monday, November 28, tag, you're it, muthafcka, as jury selection for his long-awaited trial finally begins.
No more leaking false information to blogs/podcasts, No more lying about gag orders, No more gaslighting, and No more pretending Megan Thee Stallion is on trial.
Tomorrow there will only be one person sitting at the defense table facing one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of carrying a loaded, concealed firearm in a vehicle, and that will be Daystar Peterson. Barring any last-minute plea deals.
After jury selection, we will finally get answers to the following:
Is Kylie the real reason Tory had to leave the party once she realized Megan had left?
What was the argument about?
Did Tory really say, "Dance, Bitch" before allegedly opening fire on Megan
Exactly how many shots were fired
Did Tory attempt to bribe Kelsey
What is Kelsey's role in this
How did Tory and Kelsey get GSR on their hands
Whose gun is it
What will the driver say
What will the witness say
Will Tory Lanez testify
We will also get to assess just how strong or weak the D.A.'s case is and if Shawn Holley is worth her reputation.
The jury selection starts on 11/28 at 8:30 AM in Los Angeles, and I will be updating throughout the trial.
Sidenote:
Why aren't people bashing August Alsina for not pursuing charges against Tory Lanez the same way they did Megan Thee Stallion? As I wrote before, stop pressuring Black women to deal with law enforcement if you do not have the same expectations for men.
DAY 1 - JURY SELECTION - Nov. 28th
There is not much to report. The potential jurors showed up and got their questionnaires. I would love to see the people who showed up just to get a feel.
CBS News talked to an entertainment lawyer about what the prosecutor and defense will be looking for when it comes to picking jurors. Even though lawyers who do commentary should be impartial, she unknowingly revealed whose side she is on for most of this interview, LOL.
Let's pray Nancy Dillon returns for the next hearing.
UPDATE DEC. 5TH
If you are not interested in the jury selection process that continues this week, ABC News has confirmed that opening arguments are expected to start Monday, Dec. 12.
DAY 2 - JURY SELECTION - Dec. 5th
On the second day of jury selection in the Tory Lanez case, the question of house arrest was answered. Nancy Dillon of Rolling Stone reported that, despite strong objection by the prosecutor, the judge released Tory Lanez from house arrest so that he could participate in trial preparation.
Deputy District Attorney, Kathy Ta, argued that Lanez should at least have an ankle monitor because he allegedly tried to "sway" or "intimidate" witnesses in this case. Additionally, Ta argued that more than one witness could be affected.
Lanez Attorney George G Mgdesyan stated that his client never tried to bribe or intimidate anyone,
despite Megan Thee Stallion's claims. "She says that my client told her to lie and offered her money because he's on probation and didn't want to get arrested. My client has never been on probation."
Tory's defense attorney also tossed out that Kylie Jenner and her mom's boyfriend, Corey Gamble, were on the defense's witness list because they were at the pool party. Mgdesayan told RS that including Jenner and Gamble on the list was not a guarantee he would attempt to haul them into court but that Jenner's testimony could provide important context about "how this incident began."
Dillon did not report on any potential jurors or how far in the process they got on Monday.
The trial is expected to last 10 days - Dec. 12-23.
THOUGHTS
First, I have no issue with the judge removing Tory Lanez from house arrest. That was the plan when the initial ruling was made. Also, I like that the judge is giving him another opportunity to shoot himself in the foot before trial, pun intended.
Second, Tory's attorney stated that Daystar Peterson has NEVER been on probation. Was Tory Lanez LYING in 2017 when he got on social media whining about being stopped by police while on his way to meet with his probation officer?
See, with Tory, you never know what the truth is, like when he claimed he was at the studio when August Alsina was sucker punched in Chicago. So which is it:
Tory has NEVER been on probation, or did Tory again lie for attention and sympathy?
Either way, it will not be hard to argue that he lied about the probation to help convince Megan and Kelsey not to "snitch" on him.
Third, throwing out Kylie Jenner's name was a sneaky way to give bloggers an easy headline, like Tory's team has done in the past. We all know that Tory is obsessed with making it seem like celebrities support him. The only difference this time is that he is using someone who is outside of Black Twitter. It's still a play made for the jurors, but it all falls apart when Kylie hits the stand and can't add anything about the shooting because it occurred approx. 20 min away from her house. Arguing is not a crime.
Also, if you need Kylie Jenner to put "into context," Megan Thee Stallion being shot - Oh boy!
Did Shawn Holley ditch Tory?
UPDATE DEC. 6TH
Nancy Dillon clarified Tory Lanez's defense attorney's statement about Kylie Jenner, and just like I suspected her name was used for headlines. The attorney does not even have witness statements from either Jenner or Gamble, so how does he know that she can put anything "into context" unless he is working with Shawn Holley, who we know has a relationship with her family? I do have to wonder if that relationship will become an issue.
But, if they do have statements, just like the prosecutors have to give over their evidence to the defense, the defense is required to provide the prosecutors with their evidence - with some limitations. Witness statements must be turned over to the prosecutors; you can't surprise them. The trial starts next week so what is the hold-up?
This was for headlines and an attempt to water down the importance of Kelsey's testimony, who was at the party and the shooting, unlike Kylie.
DAY 3 - JURY SELECTION - DEC. 6th
Photos Courtesy of Daily Mail
I know I am late, but I was tired.
There was no news on how the jury selection process is going, but Nancy Dillon's Rolling Stone recap from yesterday's hearing highlighted 4 things that piqued my interest.
lEsSeR cHaRgE
The D.A. shook the table when she decided to hit Tory Lanez with that Holy Trinity by adding a third felony charge of Negligently Discharging a Firearm- 246.3PC. This crime counts as a strike in California and is another opportunity to send Daystar Peterson back to Canada.
If Tory did not shoot Megan Thee Stallion as his "supporters" claim, this additional charge should not be an issue. You cannot negligently discharge a weapon that you never fired...
For those finding comfort in declaring this is a sign the prosecution's case is "weak," so they added "lEsSeR cHArGeS." You can have that. I hope it keeps you and Tory Lanez warm at night. Just know that any additional charge will probably be "lesser" than the 245PC. That charge is Beyonce.
Anyways, I see this as another signal that the D.A.'s office is done playing games with Tory Lanez and his
defense team. When Tory's charges were first revealed, I spoke out about how I felt he was undercharged and they were showing too much leniency. Prosecutors are notorious for "overcharging" to have an advantage during plea deals and then widdling them down to what charges they believe they can prove. They hit Tory Lanez with an appropriate felony assault charge and then a concealed weapons charge, which he as beaten before. They left too much wiggle room for his lawyers and jurors.
This additional charge shortens any wiggle room and caters to the jurors that worry me the most. They are the ones who have no problem believing Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion but may develop some irrational sympathy for him over the course of the trial, so convicting him of 245PC may seem "too harsh" to the Ebros of the world. So, the D.A. is playing it smart because both 245PC and 246.3PC lead to prison and deportation.
If Tory gets convicted on only the negligent discharge, do you think he will be sitting in prison knowing he will be deported, thinking about how weak the D.A.'s case was, LOL?
Also, for anyone who believes this charge is for accidental shootings, think again. This charge is for someone who "willfully" AKA intentionally pulled the trigger. At least 4 shots were fired. You can't get more intentional than that.
I made a chart of Tory's charges and the elements that must be proven to get a conviction. Which charge(s) do you feel will be the easiest to get a guilty verdict on?
WHAT APOLOGY?
Tory Lanez's new defense attorney is really trying it. He asked the judge to prevent the prosecution from mentioning Tory's jailhouse apology to Kelsey during their opening statement unless she testifies and "lays an adequate foundation for the call."
This request shows me that the defense is concerned about this phone call and doesn't believe Tory decided to call from jail just to apologize about a "sneaky link."
We all know Kelsey is a wildcard, but it is interesting to see the defense show their hand so early.
TESTIFY OR NO KELSEY DEFENSE
Now, this is a BOMBSHELL, as many content creators like to say. On Monday, the prosecutors asked for a ruling that if Tory refuses to testify, his lawyers should be barred from pursuing a 'third-party culpability defense," AKA Blame Kelsey.
This has been a burning question for many of us. How will the D.A. handle the defense claims Kelsey did it? Well, the D.A. is again playing hardball and wants Tory to be compelled to take the stand, tell us what happened that night/morning, and say Kelsey did it without hiding behind others or STFU. Show the jury how you make facing 22 years look so good.
Tory Lanez got cottonmouth while speaking for 30 min on IG Live about bones and tendons. I don't think he could handle being asked direct questions by an experienced D.A. without getting caught in a lie.
Also, what was interesting is that it appears that the defense wants to use that independent witness to support their Kelsey defense. However, the prosecutors say he is unreliable and gave multiple stories, including seeing 10 people get out of the car and people trying to kill Megan. Wait, should Tory be up on attempted murder charges? So if the defense wants to use him...good luck!
The judge will hear that motion later.
WHERE IS SHAWN HOLLEY?
We have all been wondering why is high-profile attorney Shawn Holley keeping a low profile now that the trial process has started. Well, I got word that she is still part of Tory's team as co-counsel and is currently working on another case out of state. So, I take that as she is still being paid in case they need to use Kylie Jenner, LOL.
*You notice Tory Lanez has been wearing turtlenecks
Nancy Dillon is reporting that Det. Stogner was "relieved of duty" last month, and Lanez's attorney said the "underlying" reason is for a DV allegation. I wonder why he used the word "underlying."
The prosecution said they will not call him to testify. That does not mean the defense can't.
I do not think this is a major issue.
DAY 4 - JURY SELECTION - DEC. 8th
WE DID IT, JOE!
A jury of Daystar Peterson's peers has been selected, and that noise you hear are sounds of goalposts being moved again. Interestingly, according to journalist Meghann Cuniff, one of the jurors empaneled is a "U.S. attorney who was well versed on the law. She has worked as a prosecutor and as the defense."
Meghann, as did I, found this pick confusing because, as someone pointed out, the other jurors may lean
too much on the expertise of this juror, giving that attorney an enormous amount of influence over the others. Also, I feel like this attorney may be the least open to changing her mind. However, we do not know the occupation or personalities of the other jurors, so she may not end up being the ring leader, but that is the possible danger of having a lawyer as a juror for both sides.
This pick either shows the confidence level on both sides or that one ran out of challenges...LOL.
At least a lawyer will remember the elements of each crime and remind the jury if any of them are like some of y'all yelling about:
"INTENT!"
"THEY MUST PROVE INTENT!"
"I DON'T THINK HE INTENDED TO HURT HER!"
If you read the info chart I made in a previous update, I listed the elements the prosecutors must prove to get a conviction. There is nothing about "intent" in Tory's charges. If he was charged with attempted murder, then yes, the prosecutors would have to prove "intent," but 245PC and 246.3PC are about what you did, not what you intended. I can't stand Tory Lanez, but even I don't think he tried to kill her, and Megan has never asserted that claim, either.
BOTCHED
Many of you have questions about the defense and how they will try to use former detective Ryan Stogner to their advantage. Well, they will try to show that he "botched" something in the investigation that falsely led to Tory Lanez being named as the shooter. I would not expect anything less from any competent defense attorney. You always try to find mistakes within an investigation to raise reasonable doubt.
Did Stogner botch this investigation? That is for the defense to prove. If you want hints of what direction they may attempt to go, check out Rolling Stone's recap of Shawn Holley's questioning of Stogner.
Also, this DV allegation was not an issue when Holley questioned Stogner in 2021, making me believe it happened in 2022. So, just like the prosecutors cannot bring up Tory's alleged assault on August Alsina to prove he shot Megan in 2020, I do not believe the jury will make much of this, especially since it was not work-related.
STILL NO DEFENSE
This case is not complicated and doesn't have a bunch of moving pieces like in the murder of Takeoff. There were not 30-40 people on Nichols Canyon Rd early in the morning in a Black SUV. So, Tory still piecing together a defense with a tampon, rubber band, and gum like he is McGyver is amusing.
This is what we know for a FACT!
There were only 4 people in that SUV on Nichols Canyon Rd. No one else was on that street during that time. Residents were awakened by multiple gunshots and called the police with a vehicle description. At the scene of the crime, police found bullet casings.
When the police stopped a vehicle matching the description given by an eyewitness, they found Megan bleeding from her feet and a hot gun on the floorboard in front of where Tory Lanez was sitting.
Cedar Sinai confirmed Megan was shot after finding bullet fragments in her feet.
After the D.A. quickly establishes that Megan was shot, the jury will want to know WHO SHOT MEGAN?
That takes us back to Nichols Canyon Rd, where there were only 4 people at the scene when the shots were fired. Tory either shot Megan or knows who did; there is no other scenario. So if the D.A. can get 3 of those people in the SUV to say Tory shot Megan, the defense will have to convince the jury that somehow they are all lying about Tory and only he knows who the actual shooter is, who he has yet to name.
The defense will have to attempt to discredit Megan as a victim, Kelsey as a witness, the driver as a witness, the doctor, and Ryan Stogner.
YIKES!
*This is IF Kelsey and the driver identify Tory as the shooter.
** I read a blogger got banned from court for posting photos of the jury...dumbass.
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